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The Rabbit Room, both as a community and as a website, has been in a state of evolution since its inception.

It started as a glorified blog, the content of which was provided by a ragtag group of acquaintances and friends who had very little idea what they were getting into. We also sold used books by our favorite writers, books usually culled by Eric Peters and I from the shelves of bookstores around the country. Then the website evolved into a ragtag group of actual friends—no longer just acquaintances—whose enjoyment of music and books and writing spilled over into the website. We began to realize that the website was perhaps more than just a glorified blog, read by more than just our moms.

The world is a different place than it was seven years ago, but if you look at this vision for the Rabbit Room from 2007, you’ll see that two of our guiding principles haven’t changed much:

I always envisioned this website having two functions: 1) supporting the readers/listeners by exposing them to art that is edifying, beautiful, true, and 2) providing an opportunity for the readers/listeners to support the artists by purchasing their works.

But there have been lots of additions to that vision, additions that came as a complete surprise, starting with Hutchmoot in all its strange glory (with Walt Wangerin!). Then we rented office space, with Pete Peterson masterfully at the management helm, diversifying the Rabbit Room Store. Then came another Hutchmoot (Sally Lloyd-Jones!), and Rabbit Room Press, and the publication of the Molehill, then another Hutchmoot (Phil Vischer!), and another (Leif Enger!). Our little community grew and grew to include men, women and children all over America–poets, artists, parents, pastors, authors, pipe makers, screenwriters, cooks, and—yes— accountants.

See what I mean? Evolution.

We have big dreams for where this thing might go—like bolstering the Rabbit Room Press (there’s a long list of books we wish we could publish), and opening a brick-and-mortar Rabbit Room here in Nashville (so if one of you wins the lottery, please let us know). One of my favorite verses in the Bible is that one where it talks about that one thing. Another favorite is Psalm 127:1: “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” That principle was at the front of my mind when we were dreaming up this website/community/experiment, and I pray that the same is true today. We want this place to be fully and unabashedly under God’s dominion, which means that if it continues to evolve, then great—if it runs its course and dies a grisly death, we have to be fine with that, too. So the time has come to take inventory, to open the suggestion box, to ask you, dear readers, what we’re missing and how the Rabbit Room can serve you better.

So let us have it. What needs to change? Why do you come here, if you come at all? What, oh what, is the Rabbit Room for?

70 Comments

First off, I love The Rabbit Room. This is one of, if not THE best places on the interwebs. To answer your question, my recommendation would be to not change a thing. Continue to follow your heart and your gut as this “thing” is concerned. It is clear u r following His lead and it is working.

In addition to your stated goals, one thing that I really like about this site is that the posts always seem to be timely and inspirational. Look back through the comments and the theme of “I needed to hear that” is pervasive. That means you are on the right track. Keep inspiring, while expanding and following His lead, and try as hard as u can to NOT lose the community feel (can u say “geographical small groups”, maybe “mini-moots”?).

On a side note, I manage IT shops for small businesses and I continually use this site as an example, no, best practice (business term, sorry – at least I didn’t say “synergistic” ; ) for how an online community truly should work. Businesses can learn a lot from what u rag-tag group of square peg artists have done.

An actual Rabbit Room would be so very awesome…almost worth playing the lottery for. I can’t get enough of the Rabbit Room. I love how I come away from it, full of Christ, and wonder, and the urge to go make of cup of tea and read a deep, meaningful book. It reminds me to look for light in darkness, beauty in the ugly, and has exposed me to some pretty cool music that you can’t find on radio stations (sadly). I can’t say that I have any suggestions for change, but I will say that I am dying to go to Hutchmoot someday. So please, O please! don’t decide that for some strange, horrible reason to cancel it. Thanks!

“…Psalm 127:1: “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” That principle was at the front of my mind when we were dreaming up this website/community/experiment, and I pray that the same is true today.”

I’ve often hoped (and occasionally prayed) that this would continue to be true. It’s comforting to know that the organizers of RR/HM persist in seeking to be led.

The one niggle that comes to mind is the prevalence of FB discussion threads (particularly regarding Hutchmoot) that seem to take the place of Rabbit Room discussions. It would be great if when Pete posts a link, there could be an associated forum here that would house and preserve the exchange that follows.

My brother tells the story of an AA group where the older members get to thinking about what another drink might be like. Taste like. Surely nothing would be so awful as to one drink after all these years. And then the doors open. Wild-eyed and hounds chasing a young one comes in worn from years of the drink. ”CLOSE THE GATES” the young one screams. They close the doors to the meeting, welcoming in one more who has found the better way, and no longer wondering what evil will befall them.

This, the Rabbit Room in whatever incarnation it takes, is the way the gates are closed. Here is rest, comfort, and a fellowship of the best kind- people pushing back against the darkness. I especially appreciate that this place exsists in a space where I can come daily and sit a minute with people battling back against the same darkness.

1) Rabbit Room hosted online classes, perhaps taught by contributors and community members. Could be great for up and coming young Rabbits who want to learn about Tolkien, Lewis, literature, poetry, etc.

2) I think a lot of artists in the community look to some of the Rabbit Room artists as mentors in some sense. It would be great to have a way for some of these mentor-artists to talk more about the nitty-gritty details of life as a creator: creative habits, rhythms, schedules, balancing family life and creativity, sources of inspiration, running your own business as an artist, etc. Maybe like a video series focusing on one person at a time, working through the challenges of their creative life, lessons they’ve learned, etc.

I come to be spoken to, and in the words of a wise man, you speak my language. Some places speak at me, with an agenda, whether it’s for my money or to get me on-board with something. At the Rabbit Room I’m spoken to with thoughtful, loving, intentional words, which always seem to be guided by wisdom and are more free from pretention than I what find elsewhere. It’s like a special part of the Kingdom, a table that I don’t want to get up from.

More than anything, I use the Rabbit Room as a curated reading list. Art that is edifying, beautiful and true is rare, and RR has never steered me wrong. Too busy to contribute much, but praying the community is still thriving when my kids are older and I have more time to read, write and appreciate the aforementioned truly beautiful edification.

I come here because every single time I do, I am challenged, both spiritually and as a reader. I appreciate the variety of voices here, and yet there is one Voice I hear in every post–my Maker’s. I don’t get enough time in my day to day to wander the nooks and crannies of the Rabbit room, but I am always grateful for the time I do get to sip tea here.

What Chris said – some kinds of occasional online classes would be a great idea, and another means of supporting the artists.

As for my own thoughts, I was super blessed to be able to attend the first ‘Moot in 2010 and even though I haven’t been able to get back to another one since, I’ve continued to enjoy being part of the community and interacting with such great people online and in person.

What should change/stay the same? I say just keep following where the Lord leads you, don’t feel pressured to take any steps that don’t come from your heart or that would take away from your primary callings.

Every now and again I get a notion to host a large gathering of some sort. And I’ve come to believe that my part is to provide the framework: a clean house, food to eat, some chairs to sit in. It’s the people who bring the party and the fun. And that’s something like what happens here. I super appreciate the dedication of all the different dedicated and creative folks who make it all possible. It’s great to see what has come of your efforts already.

And on the party analogy I should add… that in this case, the hosts not only provide the chairs (and the forks as I recall the Proprietor mentioning at the inaugural ‘Moot), but contribute to some pretty great interaction, as well. Myself, I’m more likely to hide in the kitchen while my guests interact with each other. I’m glad that you all are willing participants in the fun : )

Oh, i would LOVE classes, online seminars, panel discussions, nitty-gritty-exhortation and guidance, even art-of-war-style bits of wisdom on writerliness and creativity. That would be wonderful. How to think and be as writers/creatives, as well as how to craft.

I love that one of the things that has made the Rabbit Room community unique is that it has created opportunities to make these online friendships “real” through things like Hutchmoot. Finding creative ways of making those opportunities should always be something that this place is about, whether those opportunities are created and organized by the proprietors or are organically created by the general RR community. Beyond that, I don’t think it’s so much about changing anything as it is staying true to those foundational values as changes and growth come along. It’s always tricky to keep something “small” while it gets bigger! So far, you’ve done an excellent job at doing just that.

(Maybe the Rabbit Room is a bit like the Police Box. It’s bigger on the inside!)

I’m working on catching up on reading today for a class on bringing the arts into trauma healing. I just came across something that seems so relevant to this discussion:

“…We are called to greater connection and intimacy with God, our neighbors, and the earth. Remembering, therefore, is not simply a function of the mind. It is an embodied expression of our lives as we recall the concrete, earthbound actions of God and people. It is an invitation to grace and adventure that involves all God’s people. It is not just the past in our heads. It is the present in our doing.

This is why I believe that faithfully telling and listening to our stories is one of the single most important things we can do as followers of Jesus. Storytelling inevitably engages our memories…and so opens the door to a different future.” (Curt Thompson Anatomy of the Soul)

Grateful for those of you who share your stories and provide space for others to do likewise.

The best and worst thing about the Rabbit Room is its parish model: It’s very intentionally Nashville rooted, and that geographic centeredness is wonderful to behold. But it does leave the rest of us around the country pressing our noses against the computer screen, wishing we could fully participate.

But I think this is a wonderful opportunity. You have the model. Can it be duplicated on a smaller scale in other communities? Can the future of the Rabbit Room, in a small part, be that of a warren, an interconnected web of creative chapters or communities, all pulling toward the same goal with different flavors and satchels of tools? Could an occasional Hutchmoot Fort Wayne be in the future? (Or maybe HutchmootX, to not steal Nashville’s thunder?)

And I agree with the above commenter who would like these discussions on Facebook to find their way back to this web site. Technology must be able to find a way for that to happen.

Thanks to all of you for pouring your time and skills into this project.

The site’s been much appreciated as is. I love that different people post the blog entries, but somehow it all still ties together.

Agree that there are differences with a Hutchmoot Facebook page in existence, but I’d hate to have it overwhelm this site if the two were linked somehow. There’s a whole spectrum of comments that don’t need to vie for our reading here–from superfluous or spur of the moment (if interesting, funny, etc.) to prayer requests that people obviously feel safe to share there and may or may not on a more public site. So, I’d vote to keep them separate since they seem to hold somewhat different purposes or fill different needs.

I like the warren suggestion! As long as it doesn’t spread the rabbits so thin that they lose their connection with the original room/hutch.

Thanks to you Nashville folks for starting this place and for all you do to keep it alive and growing in wonderful ways!

I love everything about RR. Having archives of blogs, videos, etc. is like a great big treasure chest in the attic that I rummage through often. It’s like the connection with home that helps a college student feel secure and grounded just knowing it is there, or like the place of refuge a weary traveler knows is waiting for him with a crackling fire and amazing aromas from the kitchen. Home!

It would be great if StageIt-like shows could be preserved and archived, perhaps with an initial ticket required to see a show the first time which then gives access to unlimited views of thar show later.

I love suggestions for online classes and ways we could help support RR through donations of money or time, etc.

If RR had property with community living options, I’d be packing up and heading down that rabbit hole.

CSL expressed somewhere about the loss of a friend from their group. (paraphrased) The group doesn’t only suffer from his absence; each person has certain something that only that person can draw out of them. Each person contributes less. The loss is magnified.

I’m glad the RR is still here.

I’m glad the RR hasn’t settled into a Nashville only thing. My dream would be for 2-3 mini-moots a year. A few RR contributors descend on a small town and let that beauty be told in a gathering. Let a story rise at various places around the country; around the world.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for following God’s leading in this place. It is a taste of heaven. The comments that have already been made capture most of my thoughts.

One thing that hasn’t been mentioned are the Stage-It concerts. Wherever we are geographically, it always feels like we’re sitting in the same room for Stage-It. I would love to see regularly scheduled Square Peg concerts. I think on Facebook someone even suggested a Lewis Graham cooking demo on Stage-It. The possibilities seem endless.

The Rabbit Room, to me, is a community. More than a website or a yearly moot, it’s a community of like-minded people who encourage each other to persevere, to find beauty, to tell the story, and to welcome the weary traveler.

I come here because the Rabbit Room exposes me to art that is edifying, beautiful, true. Because it provides an opportunity for me to support the artists. And also because this is where I discovered there were other people like me. Because it is a place where I can interact with writers and artists of I admire. And ultimately because it points me to the beauty of our Triune God.

I don’t think the challenge is to change, but (as others have said) to stay the same while growing and evolving. I love the community of the Stage It concerts. I miss the longer comment threads that were part of the pre-Facebook Rabbit Room.

I suspect that this “place” is so beautiful because it wasn’t developed to satisfy a market, but because Andrew and friends set out to supply something good, something that existed only in their imaginations. And it turned out that people like me needed it. I hope that in the future you continue building a Rabbit Room that Andrew and Pete and all the others want to be themeselves. If you do, I’ll stay too.

Brenda and Sally, about Stageit, let me just mention that I think your idea, while great, probably wouldn’t work because Stageit is an independent company and they specifically don’t allowing archiving of the shows (I say this having using it several times as a performer myself). It is a great platform that allows for easy viewing and a way for the artists to get paid. The only archiving option would be something like Ustream.tv or Livestream, which allow you to create and save a video stream. Only thing about that is each user creates their own account, and there’s not really a payment option as far as I’m a aware, or a way to force people to pay in order to get a ticket. So, there’s really downsides to each option.

The evolution of The Rabbit Room has not been the only one that has occurred. There has been some major growing and changing in my life in the past four years and much of it is because of the impact of the RR on me. First it was the stream of articles, music, and blog comment discussions that clarified and put into words truths that God had already been teaching me. I finally found a way to communicate Christ to others that fits with who and how He made me. More recently the friendships I have built with these real, wonderful people has been what has touched my life most powerfully.

As others have already said, don’t try to change. Continue to follow God’s leading. Then the inevitable changes will be the right ones.

I come to the Rabbit Room because it is a place to know I’m not alone. It’s a place where I’ve found life and hope for places where I didn’t think there was any. (And I’m incredibly grateful. I cannot thank each of you enough for the hand of hope you’ve extended at different times.)

Beyond that, though, I come because so many contributors have chosen to be honest about the hard stuff. They’ve told the stories of how they got to where they are and how hard it was. And how hard it still is. I have so often thought, “If it was these challenges and this darkness that brought us these artists, perhaps the fires I’m walking through today will be worth it in the end.”

As someone who falls on the younger end of the spectrum, a place like this to talk about and think about the what and the why and the how of art has been one of the most incredible things I’ve stumbled into. Thank you. Every single one of you.

I also agree with some of what’s been said about online classes. Particularly about the craft of writing. And perhaps, if a brick-and-mortar Rabbit Room became reality, in-person classes as well?

I love what this place has become and how it’s shaped me. Here’s to many more years.

Rubber meets road. I’m in Austin and I’m happy to extend the RR community to Central Texas…whatever that means. I’m sure others are willing to in their geographical area as well. It worked for TEDx. It can work for RRx.

The Rabbit Room is the Church. It is a fellowship that has chosen to be bound together and stands as a light in the darkness.

I’ve had a few conversations lately with friends and family discussing some of the hallmarks of a thriving church and I find so many of them here. I find challenge and inspiration. I find humility. I find vulnerability and an openness that denies all of my suspicions of online communities. I see the Body supporting one another in ways both practical and spiritual. And I feel an urgency. For me, this is what really shines out. There is an insatiable hunger here for more and better. More beauty, better art, a longer glimpse of what’s to come. In short, there is a longing to see the Kingdom come. This community has taught me what it means (in the words of our Proprieter) to “kick in the womb and beg to be born.”

The meditations that are left here for me to read have strengthened and bolstered me. And many others! I hope you understand how important that is. Your showcasing artists that would be tricky to find elsewhere is a great help. Your book suggestions are wonderful. I have discovered favorites on this site. (Wingfeather books are a treasure!)

Suggestions: Could you highlight Kindle/Nook books for us? Tim Keller has brilliantly alerted us to free or $.99 books of his favorite authors. And who wouldn’t want to read his favorite books? (Of course a printed book is superior and preferred. Of course it is! But with traveling as much as we do, a lot of good reading fits into that slim device)

And to echo the other comments, RR’s existence is still useful and effective!

I’m adding a hearty, all-caps AMEN to what James Witmer said above. I come here because 1) there’s beauty here, 2) because it’s a place where I can support those who are working to add that beauty to the world (either financially by buying stuff or by sharing an RR post about a new album or book) and 3) because I can find others who want to do the same. I know most of you artist/writer/contributors have your own websites, and I do visit those often, but I like that you’re all together here in one handy place.

Loran commented above that the RR has provided a curated reading list, and I agree with that, too. The Rabbit Room “brand” or “endorsement” or “stamp of approval” or whatever you want to call it is usually a 99.9% accurate indicator for me that I will enjoy or be edified by whatever high-quality item you’re talking about. I really appreciate that this is a place where good things are praised and bad things are mostly ignored. There are enough places on the Internet where I can go to read posts with a tone of “this is awful/unChristian/bad art/dumb and here’s why,” and I like that the RR isn’t one of those places.

When I tell friends about the Rabbit Room, it’s usually via a link to a post that I think they will especially resonate with. I want to invite them to consider and join that conversation. Even for those “lurkers” who read posts but don’t comment (hi, lurkers!), I hope this is a place where they feel welcomed to just sit and “listen.” To me the RR has never felt impersonal or distant, and I think that’s owing partly to the vision and “About the RR” page and the insistence that Hutchmoot is for anyone/everyone. Keep that going.

I thank the Lord for this place ‘most every day, and pray that He will continue to be the master builder here.

I cannot find words to express how much this community means to me. I come here, as others have said to know that I am not alone, no matter how much that lie is whispered in my ear. I come here to find and be reminded of the beauty that still exists in this fallen world. It is the church, the body of Christ in a world that so badly needs a beautiful example of what it looks like when the important things matter and the non-essential things fall away.
I come here to learn new things to share with those I teach so the opportunity to take classes/lessons sounds wonderful to me. The most important reasons I return here are each of you reading this post. The people that God has placed into my life through this site have changed me in the past few years. I love to read your words, pray for your concerns and hug you tightly whenever we are together.
I would love to see a physical RabbitRoom store (and I’d like to submit my application for a part-time slot when available–it would go nicely with my library part-time job.) I’d love to see that physical space as a place to pray together about all things RR on a regular basis.
I will continue to pray for God’s direction in everything. May He be glorified in every decision, conversation, through our laughter and our tears.

Tangent: AP, if you read this, know that one of the things you wrote on your blog many moons ago has always stuck with me. You wrote of how awesome it is when you take your clothes out of the washer and your fingers are *perfectly* wet enough to remove the lint from the dryer lint trap.

It’s not that what you wrote is all that impactful all by itself, but it was the larger idea behind it that stuck. Pay attention. Enjoy the simple wonders. Be grateful for all things.

One day I went to read the blog and it was gone. The RR was here instead. I’ve been a constant lurker ever since

I come hear to read stories and be exposed to ideas and to see beauty. It’s a peaceful place on the internet. It’s warm. It’s challenging. I’ve found authors and artists that I now adore and somehow this community is very grounding to me.

Ditto to what’s already been written. I love the RR and can’t imagine how my life was before it. Sound a tad dramatic? I don’t think so. It’s the truth! The music, the books, the humor, the beauty — all always pointing the Great Beauty. Thanks!

One “improvement” that comes to mind concerns the book club (side note: when’s the next one?!) A conversation forum would have been nice for that; a mechanism for people to respond to specific posts inline. I can see it working for many of the posts here, but it would have been particularly helpful for the book club conversations.

The Rabbit Room community has changed my life in a number of ways, almost too wide and too deep to fit into one comment. The Love, Mercy, and Grace of Christ shared and given with many. I can expound more at the Hutchmoot Retreat AP.

However, I would suggest entering into a season of prayer (maybe for Lent), whether online but preferably in person with each other. Maybe a main group in Nashville and other groups where a quorum of other Rabbits reside. I’m up for hosting in Dallas at Park Cities Presbyterian if enough are interested.

I would suggest a Silent Prayer Retreat at either Laity or the Abbey of Gethsemani afterwards. At the end of the season of prayer, get representatives from each group together and hear what the Holy Spirit was whispering.

Lent might be a good time for this prayer season and possibly book Laity for the Retreat for the weekend of 24-27 April (it’s currently open and unbooked because it’s the week after Easter).

1. It’s where I have purchased most of my books and music over the past couple years. I prefer the artists here over most of the “mainstream” music out there. (So I promote RR artists as much as I can to friends in hopes that more of the world can experience the truth and beauty of God’s grace in the wonderful variety of ways that you all present it.)

2. I lurk in the dark corners of the Rabbit Room to be encouraged and strengthened in my faith journey. I find theological discussion and practical, every-day stories that resonate with my life, and that brings me peace and comfort, knowing there is someone out there experiencing the same things with their children or processing through the same scripture passage.

3. The Rabbit Room stretches me and makes me uncomfortable at times. And for this reason I come back regularly, knowing that I disagree with some of the things that are written here. I come back recognizing that I don’t know it all, and that some of the things I disagree with are more correct than my own pridefully held beliefs. So God uses this community to grow me and chip away at hard parts of my heart. He opens my eyes to new facets of His grace that then enable me to act more graciously towards others.

I lurk at the Rabbit Room and don’t comment much because I feel I have much to learn before I can contribute. If I were to attend a Hutchmoot I would probably be a lurker there too. I have read some of the suggested works from these pages. And some I have enjoyed, but others, honestly, I can’t stand. But one thing I’ve learned here is that there is no need to “force” myself to become something that I am not. I look up to AP and the others here, and I value their opinions on music and literature, but I should not pretend to like a poem in order to “become more like” AP. The beauty of the RR is the vividly diverse crowd, that sometimes makes homogenous people like me a little uncomfortable. Thanks, AP for being such a gracious host in your virtual hangout. I will continue to lurk and glean from the collective wisdom of contributors here.

Ok, I’m going to admit that I haven’t read all the comments – but I intent to! For me the Rabbit Room Community is one of those places where an impossibility is happening. Life is being lived a way that I didn’t know could exist and so I can go there to experience the kind of “Recovery” that Tolkien talks about being one of the purposes of Fantasy.

So Recovery.

But to me is seems to be based in Lewis’ “Oh you too!?” kind of friendship. As great as the art getting made and supported is, what I think holds it together is God’s knitting of hearts in a common search for him – to touch, smell, see, hear, and taste the real person of the incarnated Jesus.

So Friendship.

The community of folks making things – songs, stories, meals, and so on is to me the Kingdom life happening. In some sense our call is to perpetuate the Incarnation – to keep making the life of Jesus tasteable, seeable, touchable, hearable, smellable. So we hear his call for something that we long to see but that seems impossible, and we find others on the same pilgrimage, and we strengthen and encourage one another to keep making things and life that bring others into contact with the Living Jesus.

I come here for the different, thoughtful and humble writings of a host of Christians who seem to always see things a little better than I do. I’m grateful for that. I have also made good use of the Rabbit Room store to delight my and my family’s ear drums. I will most likely continue to come here for those primary things. I appreciate all the writers but I know my enjoyment of the Rabbit Room would increase with more posts by Mr. Andrew Peterson himself.

If this Rabbit Room is indeed a room, I think I entered first through the back door of Hutchmoot rather than the open front door of the Interwebs. And so for me, this place will always be first and foremost, a room of friends: met friends and yet-to-meet friends, and in that way a foretaste of heaven. So keep up the conversations, whether those are in the comments, interviews or links introducing us to other friends, I think it important that the doors stay open, the fires stay lit, and the conversations flow.

Secondarily, this place has completely taken over my bookshelves and my music library. Please keep being a place that promotes and sells excellent works of art and literature and beauty. They are indeed found other places as well, but this place is just so convenient for me!

Finally, as the vision expands onward and upward, I would love to see that include additional avenues for supporting the many people who call this place “home.” That could include online classes or StageIt shows as have been mentioned, or a brick-and-mortar building, or a larger publication arm. I’m not sure what the Lord is calling you fine folks to, but I know He has called me to love the Truth. So as long as that can still be found here, you will have my support.

(Also, to all the contributors and especially to Pete and Andrew – THANK YOU for breathing your own life into this place and keeping the door open for us weary travelers. You may never know the full extent of the ways in which God has used you, but for today, may it be enough to know that He has.)

I have come here from my Charlotte friends , some of whom I teach their kids, ‘who adore, just adore everything about Hutchmoot and all of you. I have then been to
house parties, to Nashville to hear Walter Wangerin, and keep on reading. I call The Rabbit Room a writers guild and a musicians guild. Some bridge into both. The Medieval guilds grew up out of relationships. I have much appreciation for the availability of Hutchmoot 2013 podcasts to purchase. Please made more available.

I ditto a lot of what everyone has already said. I would make one request: Hutchmoot streamed live online. I get it, the charm is BEING in Nashville. It’s eating the good grub, shaking hands and meeting, etc… And I suspect, this is why it will still sell out every year, and quickly. That said, there is also awesome content that comes out of it. It would be real nifty if that was made available online………for free, but with a place for tips :D! As much as I would love to come to Nashville to see, nay EXPERIENCE(!), it live, I got kids to feed!

– The Rabbit Room is a place where I feel at home, like I belong. My first Hutchmoot welcomed me in. My second felt like coming home to a big family reunion. But the RR was where I first felt like I could love the things I loved without feeling awkward or weird.

– I also love that this is a place where we celebrate the good instead of ranting about/making fun of the bad. There are plenty of other cynical places on the Internet for that, and honestly, it makes me tired. The community and mutual nerdiness is so refreshing.

– Classes sound like a fun idea.

– For the Facebook dilemma…. what about finding ways to bridge the two? Recycle readers back and forth? By that I mean, RR writers could be watching the group for inspiration (a video shared perhaps, or when Deb says “Hey, did you see Frozen?” and a whole bunch of people get excited) and spin those bits into full-fledged posts, or they could take a question raised by a new post and share it on Facebook for another avenue of discussion. Together, the two could really help strengthen the community.

Okay. Gosh, I wish my eloquent comment wasn’t gone. But oh well. This was less wordy and that’s probably good.

I was telling my husband last night that I’ve recently become so overwhelmed by the lack of truth in our society. Every image I see has been altered. Facts are twisted, statistics fudged, all with a certain goal in mind.

The Rabbit Room is truth. It’s the real thing. The more time I spend reading the Word and seeing it lived out here, the easier it is to discern truth in my daily life. This place is safe, and it’s home.

I love the idea of a physical Rabbit Room. If we won the lottery, we would buy Jennifer and Pete a mansion in the country with a library that had shelves to the ceiling.

Also, for those not on Facebook (I speak from current experience), it would be fantastic if mini-moots were somehow shared through this website or through e-mail. If someone is hosting a mini-moot in their area, it would be great to know about it through some avenue other than Facebook. Perhaps we could have “ambassadors” for different areas of the county. Just a thought.

Well, it is hard to put into words all the RR means to me, and much of it has been said in all the comments above. Just have to say I do love the idea of Hutchmoot-streaming….I mean, I live in Canada. Ain’t no way I’m ever actually going to a Hutchmoot in person, and it is a bit painful to come on here post-Hutchmoot to hear how it was so wonderful for the few who could attend. But having said that, I can see how the intimate nature of HM could be threatened by that, so I leave it to the wisdom of the proprietors to figure out that dilemma – it’s probably the one downside to the RR for all us non-Hutchmooters that we don’t feel completely “in” as we haven’t been to Hutchmoot. But maybe that says more about us (or me, I should speak for myself!) than it does about the RR. I am saving my shekels to purchase the 2013 recordings of the sessions, THANK YOU so much for making those available.

I love that this is a place that encourages me as a writer to strive for the best in my work, and to know that there are others out there that do the same. Looking forward with you to all that God has for the future!

Hoo boy, great topic, AP. Seems like a good time for vision-casting. I’ll try to be brief. I agree with so much of what others have said. Most of all, to me the RR represents many things to many different people, and that’s what makes it beautiful. There’s music, books, theology, food, humor (Jonathan Rogers’ ballet mole anecdote comes to mind), just to name a few, and each guest comes for something different. And we come for different things at different seasons of life. So, in terms of branching out, I think that’s the core of what makes RR special, and should be preserved, at all costs.

I love Pete’s vision for RR Press. They put out such lovely books into the world, and I would do anything I can on a poor teacher salary to assist in bringing more books to the public through this effort. I’d even let Pete hire me on as a freelance editor. Hint, hint.

I love the concept of regional Hutchmoots, dreamed up and put on by RR “guests,” sort of little satellite experiences because Hutchmoot is so limiting, by its very nature. Travis P., Karen B., Colin P. and I all came back from Hutchmoot this year excited about making a regional Moot happen for our part of the country: frostbitten western NY.

I also do like the idea of some sort of “classes” about the craft of creating in a variety of disciplines. So much of what I love about RR is the celebration of beauty and the joy of creating. If there’s any way to join up with others who are similarly gifted and/or interested, for more specific time to discuss craft, I’d be in.

I remember hearing Andrew Peterson mention this thing called the Rabbit Room during an interview over the radio. After I checked it out, I saw the books, movies, and music mentioned on the site and I knew I was in the right place.

One thing I look forward to at the end of the year is the “best of” that the contributors make. The movies, music, and books that I can’t seem to hear about anywhere else, always around found mentioned here.

So, if I had to recommend something to improve about the Rabbit Room, I’d say: more recommendations. That’s what I’ve been liking about Story Warren, as I always seem to be on the lookout for what stories my kids and I will gobble up next.

I am more of a lurker than a contributor (although I think I made a comment about three times) ha! I just want to agree with the comments already made that this forum/site is one of the few I check almost daily. I enjoy so much the wisdom and recommendations that I get from RR. God bless you all for the TIME and WORK it must take to give of yourselves so richly and generously.

As a visual artist I believe one of the things my heart “wishes” for in this room is just more to SEE. My mind and ears feed lavishly on the food of books and music. I wish that more visual artists were among the crowd. And more of us who are delighted in enchantment: the beauty of a tree, a wisp of cloud, the way water moves. There are just things in this world (and I know I am speaking to many incredible writers here) that cannot be said with words but are truths buried deep in ourselves. And when our eyes see them they really see for the first time.

I come here to get my head on straight. It’s like “fairy” in Lewis’ words. The wild place (not fairy as in Tinker Bell as he would be very adamant it wasn’t like that at all). But a wooded, wild and untamable place that beckons us. There is something more to this world and it is the dreamers and children who have it right after all. That is what this place is. An enchanted wood with all the creatures (even the quiet, shadowy ones) spilling out their souls.

Bless you all for the good work you are doing. This cyber world is like a walk in the woods for me. I discover something new every time I’m here and I love it. How I wish I could afford to come to the Hutchmoot someday. But even if all I ever do is lurk and read and say my “amen” to the computer screen I feel God has reached into my heart and said, “your not alone dear love. I see you.” Thank you for that.

I really can’t convey enough how much you people mean to me. Why do I love the Rabbit Room? Because when I step inside it’s a little bit like coming home, ever since I first cracked the door and peered in I’ve been delighted to discover truth and beauty. I’ve read some essays here dozens of times, printed them off, carried them around in my pocket on those days when I need to be reminded of truth every fifteen minutes.

Growing up my mother told me that the things that change you the most in life are the books you read and the people you meet, the older I get the more I am finding this to be true and The Rabbit Room marries these two things beautifully. You all have forced me to look at the world differently, to peel back the skin and get past the surface of things.

What would I like to see in the future? Classes would be wonderful, any new ways to support these artists that I love would be fantastic. Beyond that though, please just keep doing what you’re doing.

When I first entered into the Rabbit Room and began reading, I wept often. For that matter I still do. I find here Truth.Grace.Beauty.Hope.Laughter and Kindness. Transparent honesty that is rare and priceless. I pray these things never disappear from here.

I love the relationships, but I confess that I need more face time with folks in order to really have those develop. I’m glad a second gathering has been added to the year. The gatherings require so much from you guys and I hope you know how much your efforts are appreciated.

Because travel isn’t always possible, I too would like to see more online gathering options. I’d sign up for a Google hangout once or twice a month to discuss an assigned thought. Online small groups so to speak. Still I realize that too would take coordination. But as it’s online the small group “leaders” could be anywhere in the US…not sure. Just a thought.

The Rabbit Room reminds me why being an artist is a matter of the soul and not just a profession. I love the spirit of this community and the way it challenges my thinking. I also love the mixture of intellect, artistry, and humor that’s present in the blog posts; it shows that you guys know what you’re talking about, but you’re still human enough to laugh at yourselves. I like that.

I would also be open to working for the official Rabbit Room store in Nashville. Or collaborating as a writer or grammar instructor for a session since I saw that someone is looking for that!

Along the lines of Ming’s “… I need to be reminded of truth every fifteen minutes,” one of the things I have searched for on my iPod is a Rabbit Room app. Here’s what’s currently available if I search “Rabbit Room” in the app store: Bunny Town, Find the Magic Rabbit, Bubble Casino, and KidsRoom for iPhone.

Mind you, I am not very technological, and I’m really not sure what I would want the app to do, but somehow, seeing a little Rabbit Room icon on my screen, might me remind of the truth and beauty which is what I think of every time I think of the Rabbit Room.

I’m late to the game here. But I love the rabbit room and wanted to chime in. Finding musicians and writers and introducing them to a new, dedicated audience is amazing. I would love for the Rabbit Room to start doing this for artists as well.

I can’t tell you how many times my wife and I are walking through the local art spot or looking at outside art shows and we’ll start talking about the Rabbit Room. Because I’ll be looking at the stuff and say, “I want something that screams narnia,” or “A pirate ship from the Fiddlers Green, that would be awesome,” or “why can’t they something that will call me to the kingdom?”

Do what you do with artists as well.

A Rabbit Room art gallery. A place where I invest in artists and hang their original work in my world.

Because Rabbit Room is blocked on my school’s wi-fi, I haven’t been able to check this site much for two years. got a smart phone in December, and I am glad to be back in the loop.

Having conversation visible to the whole world limits the type of statements I might make here vs. in a closed group. Not that I would write something scandalous, but my students do Google me, and I have to think about how every comment might be perceived if it is public. That affects what I write here.

What I hate about this is that the public is missing too much. There are conversations in old RR threads that changed my life as an observer. I want other lonely souls to experience that.

What if Pete or somebody just directed certain topics here. Could we kind of say, “Hey, let’s take this one public?” and intentionally have dialogue here to show folks who we are and welcome new pilgrims?

I’ve told Ben Shive this before, but I am grateful for this community that is like a little glimpse of eternity every time I get to interact with it (through concerts, perusing this site, reading community-loved books, etc). We are pushing back on the darkness of this world…as we are meant to do. And Rabbit Room…you do this beautifully.

Things I love – the blog, the music, Community Christmas, and the Truth woven into it all

Things I’d love to see – a physical Rabbit Room in Nashville! I was thrilled by the little Edgehill Cafe partnership in Lenox Village and sad to see it go. I’m always thinking, “gosh, I’d love to buy x, y, and z from the Rabbit Room but don’t want to pay shipping.” There could be book readings…mini concerts…fellowship…endless possibilities!

I’ve been thinking about this post ever since I saw it on Monday and have pondered many things to write here. I’ve read or skimmed all the comments so far and agree with many of them. But I still don’t quite know what to say here. In Dumbledorian fashion, I may just spit out random words. Mine might actually be meaningful though.

Community. Craft. Art. Hospitality. Warmth. Sharing.

Those words come to mind when I think Rabbit Room. And I get excited when I hear about possible expansions of the RR press, or new works coming out from various and sundry here, a *place* where people can come together, other new methods of connecting…

I think that’s what I want to see. Somehow, I want to see growth and expansion without losing the essence. I know that is tough; and there will always need to be a balance of some kind, but I’m a firm believer in making small changes and taking small chances. I think the Hutchmoot/Laity Retreat is a perfect example of this. It’s not a huge investment on the part of those already involved, but it opens the RR door to new and different audiences.

As we talk of mini-moots and Stage-it concerts and house concerts and even online classes or seminars, etc., what we’re talking about is growing the community–making it available to more and more people. All of us know people in our circles that we think of as “Rabbits who just haven’t discovered the RR yet.” And we want to share this place with them–but they may not be the kind of person who connects with a website, so we wait for the nearest concert or we host a house concert or we invite them to Hutchmoot and we try, little-by-little, to break down whatever walls they think exist between them and this place.

And I know growth means that the Rabbit Room will not stay just as it always has been. The Laity Retreat will be different than Hutchmoot. An online seminar will be different than a special event in Nashville. But as someone above mentioned, there’s room for the both/and.

But we also want those people who serve this community–the voices we all listen to–to still have time to create, to still have space to *be* who they are, to still be able to support their families. I think growth will require support–both financially from the broader community, and in man-hours in terms of staff or volunteers who can keep things running on a day-to-day basis.

I don’t know exactly what it all looks like, but it’s continuing the growth that has happened thus far and looking for new avenues for the future.

I just know that I’d love to be a part of it–in some way, at some point.

I’ve been getting more and more into the Rabbit Room for about a year or two now, and what I love about it, mainly as a personal bookworm and musician is all the top-notch media that this community produces. The posts on this website are always thought-provoking, the albums speak volumes, and the novels are some of the best fiction I’ve ever read. What I mainly want to see is more culture: analyzing it, critiquing it, and most of all, creating it.

Has anyone mentioned coffe mugs yet? I would love to get my hands on a RR coffee mug and another run of those beautiful chalices would be a welcome sight.

I’ve been lurking here since the inception and rarely comment, mostly because I’m not comfortable sending my thoughts out into the world at large. However, this is just about the only place I’ve ever felt comfortable doing so. Mostly because I trust Pete and Andrew as well as the other folks who contribute and follow.

There are some great suggestions all throughout the comments and I have no doubt that whatever the Rabbit Room evolves into, it will glorify God as well as edify and uplift all who wander into the fold. I would not be a card carrying member if I did not believe this with all my heart.

I love what you do, I love who you are and I love Who you do it for. I support the Rabbit Room and will follow this bunny hole wherever it leads.

First of all, I can only repeat what it looks like several others have said, just that I can hardly begin to express all the RR has meant to me. Encouragement, inspiration, nourishment…when I first stumbled onto the site, I thought, ‘this is exactly what I’ve been looking for, though I didn’t realize it.’ It was so very wonderful to discover like-mindedly intellectual, literary, nerdy, Christian people, whom I could not only relate to but also look up to….a type I thought had vanished from the earth. (slight exaggeration, but for a bookwormy teen that’s how it felt.) Basically the RR is one of my favorite things ever, and I would just like to thank ya’ll for being awesome.

I really can’t think of a suggestion, besides it would be very nice if there were videos of Hutchmoot sessions, that sort of thing. Can’t wait to be there myself someday, but living on the other side of the country & being in school that isn’t likely to happen soon. Speaking of which, I’m sure there’re many besides me who would love to see AP out in Arizona. (please?) Oh, and as mentioned above, more mugs would be wonderful. If all else failed I’d make a family member get one as a very early/late Christmas present for yours truly.

I found this website two years ago, after I read The Fiddler’s Gun and The Fiddler’s Green. I was so impressed with the quality of writing in those two books that I figured the Rabbit Room website had to be just as good. And I haven’t been disappointed. James Witmer’s post above put everything I was thinking about Rabbit Room into words.

For me, looking for and finding RR was like Bilbo’s dream in The Hobbit where he wanders into all the rooms in his house but doesn’t know what he’s looking for or where it is. But, when I found Rabbit Room, I knew it was what I had been looking for (like Hannah U. said above me!).

I have only one suggestion (and there were many great other suggestions above… I especially liked the app idea). It might be fun to put on a contest for the readers. Perhaps having different categories, like poetry and fiction and non-fiction and art, etc. Maybe the winner(s) would be posted on the website, or maybe published in something (like the Molehill).

Other than that, I’d say continue on doing what you’re doing. God is definitely present in this place, and I enjoy seeing everything that comes out of RR. It’s a great encouragement to me, and I usually walk away with a lingering “wow” feeling.

I would add that I appreciate the personal nature of The Rabbit Room. I like going on vacation with Andrew or hearing about Lanier’s writing partner.

I enjoy the Comments as much as I enjoy the actual posts sometimes.

I would not call myself an artist, but I am a great appreciator or art. I love being around those who feel most alive when they are creating, whether it be through music, writing, the visual arts, etc. The Rabbit Room provides a forum by which I feel encouraged in my own journey, and the friendship and community of the Rabbit Room contributors spills over to include and edify me as well.

I come to the Rabbit Room to follow you guys to the feast of beautiful, lovely, art and music, prose, books and thoughts that help me know God more deeply. I am lifted out of the ordinary, and then return to the ordinary with more zeal, encouraged by the beauty here and by those who seek Him. Thank you to all your writers!

I’m not an accountant, but even more of an oddity – a chemical engineer.

What does the RR do for me? It brings light and beauty to my dark world. It makes me feel like I’m not alone in this journey; it introduces me to new thoughts, new books, and new music. It allows Dr. Rogers to give me a laugh or rock my world with a beautiful insight, or for Pete and Father McKenzie to help me save money and time that would be otherwise spent on a bad movie.

What I have asked Pete for and would still like is a way to partner financially with the RR. There are only so many copies of JSB or the Wingfeather saga one has room for. So a non-profit status would be awesome to help extend the vision.

I initially came to the Rabbit Room hungry for a sense of Story again. I felt jaded, cynical, and deflated from so many competing frayed threads in my tangled mind and knew that something needed to be encountered. I firmly believe that the good Lord surrounds us with our own tailored made communion of saints, so whichever way we turn, to the good or the bad, we face those who can point the way forward or steer us back, if needed.

If nothing else, the volume of comments (esp. from those of us who are rarely seen) has caused me to exclaim ‘congratulations, Rabbit Room, you are now big!’ Again, I’m echoing previous comments, but I guess one of the worst things that could happen here would be to try to keep things the way they have been and ignore the need for growth that comes with so many members of this community. That said, I would encourage you all in this endeavor to find what the future holds for us.

I have (quite) often thought that it would be really nice to have an alternate forum associated with this site – a place for less formal/public conversations. I think I’m agreeing with Becca when I say that sometimes the comments section just doesn’t feel like it can hold everything that it once might have. Again, nothing wrong with that, just how it is. Also, I’m not on the Facebook group, so I can’t speak to/from that. I don’t want to be the crazy guy waving a flag and yelling ‘bring back the AP message boards!’, but…

And Glen: there are at least 3 of us down here in slightly-less-frostbitten Northwest Pennsylvania who have discussed a regional mini-moot several times.

Lastly, who else thought of suggesting a comment length limit, then quickly retracted that opinion?

I agree with Jon Swerens. RR is both a joy and an aching. Having entered RR through AP’s music, then Pete’s books, I’ve delved into a world of music and books that have changed my life. I was already working on a book at the time, and my love for writing has grown to the point where I ache in the carrer I’m in and long to do more. Rabbit room has expanded that aching, and too the extent I’m able, helped me keep moving forward however slowly. The music has been the best part. I haven’t even delved into it all, but it all is wonderful. Yet it makes me ache too.

I guess the RR group is too good at what they do. They immerse themselves in their works and it shows. After every song and page all us readers get to know the author until we feel we know them personally, but we don’t. I can’t call up AP and ask what he thinks of my newest thought on a book, or walk into Ben Shive’s studio at midnight and give him company as he cranks out recordings. So much to art is reaching out to one’s surroundings; listening, talking, giving, and receiving. I suppose I haven’t had enough of those peices and I see them all in RR, but I can’t get to them.

Phew, that’s off my chest. Selfishness aside I think RR should keep doing what it’s doing. Maybe someday I’ll make it to Hutchmoot, or maybe I’ll become part of another community, but it’s not about me. RR offers a great gift of art that is crafted to the Glory of God, enjoying, aching, and loving. It’s a wonderful picture. I’m sure below the surface things are tumultuous, crazy, and blessed, and I only ask you keep up the good work. I pray God will continue to bless you and as you continue to grow I hope you strive too keep your local community close, it shows. Keep callaborations going for the sake of creating and showing glory to God.

“I firmly believe that the good Lord surrounds us with our own tailored made communion of saints, so whichever way we turn, to the good or the bad, we face those who can point the way forward or steer us back, if needed.”

I have been following this blog for a year or so. I came primarily as a visual artist (and like others would like to see more from this angle – the recent Subjects With Objects post is right up my alley). But the RR room for me is now mostly about a ‘curated book reviews’ – to poach from an earlier post, links into music i would never had found otherwise – and especially the “What? You too? I thought it was only me” moments. Of which there are many. I live in smalltown New Zealand where ‘thinking’ and ‘Christian’ aren’t an obvious combination. Certainly present but you don’t really admit to such girly/elistic/eclectic traits. So my main request re the RR would be that those of us who are far-flung are not forgotton in any futher direction.
Unless you would all like to move to my neighbourhood.
Nothing beats real-world connecting and I can see that that would be the ideal for those in the Nashville area. According to google maps you can’t get there from here…
Having pondered on this post for a week or so my single biggest take out form the RR has been a comment from the 2012 Hutchmoot podcast Art in the Kingdom. From memory: “if you are in a [church] environment resistant to the arts – it’s likely also resistant to grace. Without grace, there is no gospel. If that’s the case, contend for the gospel – with beauty’
The RR provides resources and encouragemnt – permission even – to do that. Many thanks.

I think the Rabbit Room is a community of craftsmen, each person building something beautiful and creative in their own lives. I’d love for there to be some kind of moderated forum to display what beautiful things are coming out of members of the Rabbit Room, and where encouragement and constructive criticism could be given. I was in a writers group many years ago, during the early days of the WorldWideInterWebNet (thank you, Al Gore). Each month we gave a 10 word story idea to the entire group, and everyone would write a story and submit it 3 weeks later (back when it took 3 minutes to email a Word document). Then we’d spend a week reading and commenting on each other’s stories, then do it all over again. Unfortunately it only lasted a year or less, but it was a great experience. I think a message board for writers, songwriters, visual artists, etc, to grow their craft would be a welcome addition to this fine establishment. That and a Rabbit Room Brewery…